Jun. 28, 2011 (UPI NewsTrack) --
SALEM, N.J., June 28 (UPI) -- New Jersey's Salem 2 nuclear power plant remained offline Tuesday following a problem with a reactor coolant pump, a spokesman for the plant's operator said.
Spokesman Joe Delmar of PSEG Nuclear (NYSE:PEG) told Today's Sunbeam of Salem, N.J., that the plant shut down automatically Sunday evening when the coolant pump malfunctioned.
An auxiliary pump system immediately started to provide water to cool the reactor, he said.
Inspectors for the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission have verified that the plant is stable.
Cause of the pump failure is under investigation, Delmar said.
Jeff Tittel of the New Jersey Sierra Club said the pump failure illustrates the need for independent reviews of nuclear power plants and additional backup systems.